Recognizing an Emergency

Families and friends sometimes have a difficult time making the hard decision to phone for emergency help when a family member or friend with a psychiatric disability is experiencing severe symptoms. Sometimes the situation is clearly an emergency. Other times, it’s not so clear, especially when a person’s psychiatric disorder is emerging and/or family members and friends are inexperienced. Here are some guidelines.

It is an emergency if the ill person is:

Inflicting or attempting to inflict serious bodily harm on another.

Gravely disabled: unable to provide for own food, clothing, shelter to the extent that death, bodily injury or physical debilitation might result without treatment.

Attempting suicide or behaving as though he or she intends to follow through with verbal threats.